Bucket attachment for bulldozer blades and the like

ABSTRACT

A BUCKET ATTACHED TO A BULLDOZER BLADE BY ACTUATING ARMS EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER SIDES OF SAID BLADE TO POINTS SUBSTANTIALLY MIDWAY BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER EDGES OF THE BUCKET AND STABILIZER ARMS BETWEEN THE UPPER EDGE OF THE BUCKET AND THE UPPER EDGE OF THE BLADE TO CONTROL THE PIVOTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BUCKET WHEN ACTUATED.

J. H. FUNK Feb. 2; .1911

BUCKET ATTACHMENT FOR BULLDOZER BLADES AND THE LIKE Filed Sent. 16. 1968 United States Patent 3,559,314 BUCKET ATTACHMENT FOR BULLDOZER BLADES AND THE LIKE John H. Funk, General Delivery, Prairie Grove, Manitoba, Canada Filed Sept. 16, 1968, Ser. No. 759,988 Int. Cl. E02f 3/76 US. Cl. 37117.5 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bucket attached to a bulldozer blade by actuating arms extending from the upper sides of said blade to points substantially midway between the upper and lower edges of the bucket and stabilizer arms between the upper edge of the bucket and the upper edge of the blade to control the pivotal characteristics of the bucket when actuated.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in attachments to bulldozer or scraper blades.

These blades are normally attached to the front of crawler tractors or the like and are used to scrape or bulldoze ground, rocks, tree stumps and the like.

The bulldozer blade attachment is extremely flexible in use and it is often desirable to have some method of utilizing the blade with a front bucket attachment so that material can be picked up and deposited rather than have to utilize a front end loader or the like for this purpose.

The present invention is a bucket attachment to a blade actuated by hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies so that the bucket can be pivoted upwardly or downwardly with respect to the blade. The novel construction includes stabilizer arms which are adjustable in length, extending between the upper side of the bucket and a point on the blade side below the pivotal attachment of the actuating arms so that when the arms are actuated, the stabilizing arms cause the bucket to pivot upwardly and away from the blade in one direction and downwardly and towards the blade in the other direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which can be easily attached to any bulldozer or scraper blade providing a source of hydraulic power is available for actuation purposes.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the adjustment of the stabilizing arms permits the lower edge of the bucket to engage under the lower edge of the blade or above depending upon circumstances so that, for example, the bucket can be used as a rock picker or can be used to pick up straw from a ham or the like.

Summerizing, the device consists of a bucket having actuating arms totally secured to the sides thereof and between the upper and lower edges, with the actuating arms also being pivoted to the upper sides of the blade and actuated hydraulically. Adjustable stabilizer arms extend between the upper edge of the bucket and to a point on the bulldozer blade below the point of connection of the actuating arms thus controlling the pivotal characteristics of the bucket assembly.

With the foregoing in view, and such other or further purposes, advantages or novel features as may become apparent from consideration of this disclosure and specification, the present invention consists of the inventive concept which is comprised, embodied, embraced or included in the method, process, construction, composition, arrangement of parts, or new use of any of the foregoing, herein exemplified in one or more specific embodiments of Patented Feb. 2 1971 "ice such concept, reference being had to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the invention with the bucket shown in the lowermost position and in the upper- 5 most position in phantom.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the different positions of the bucket due to the adjustment of the stabilizing arms.

FIG. '3 is an isometric view of the invention attached to the bulldozer blade but reduced in scale with respect to the remaining drawings.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in detail, reference character 10 illustrates a conventional bulldozer blade assembly having blade 11 and side plate members 12.

Arms 13 mount the bulldozer blade to the source of power (not illustrated) in the form of a tractor or the like and enable the bulldozer blade to be adjustable in the usual manner.

My invention collectively designated 14 consists of a bucket 15 having a base 16 and a pair of side plate members 17, the side plate members having skid shoes 18 on the lower rungs 19 thereof to reduce wear at these points.

The bucket assembly 14 is mounted by means of a pair of actuating arms 20. There is one arm 20 upon each side of the bucket pivotally secured to the side plates 17 by means of pivot pins 21 and these points of pivotal securement are between the upper edge 22 of the bucket and the lower edge 23 and approximately midway along the sides 17 as clearly shown. The arms 20 are provided with attachment lugs '24 adjacent the ends 25 and these lugs provide pivotal attachment of the arms to adjacent the upper side 26 of the bulldozer blade side plates 12, by means of pivot pins 27.

The ends 25 are provided with offstanding lugs 26' and hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly '28 is pivotally attached via piston rod 29, to the lugs 26 by means of pivot pins 30.

The cylinder 31 of a piston and cylinder assembly 28 is also pivotally secured by means of pivot pin 32, to adjacent the lower sides 33 of the side plates 12 of the bulldozer blade. These piston and cylinder assemblies 28 are connected to a source of hydraulic fluid (not illustrated) and the necessary controls on the prime mover.

Stabilizer arms assemblies collectively designated 34 are provided upon each side of the assembly and consist of telescopic members 35 extending into tubes 36 and adjustable within limits by means of pins 37' extending through apertures in the portions 35 and 36.

The stabilizing arms 34 are pivotally secured by means of pivot pin 37, to adjacent the upper edge 22 of the bucket and upon the side plates 17 thereof. The tubes 36 are also pivotally secured by means of pivot pins 38, to the side plates 12 of the bulldozer blade assembly 10 at points below the pivot points 27 so that the ends of the stabilizer arms 34 attaching to the bucket assembly 14 are above the points of attachment of the actuating arms at 21 when the bucket is in the lowermost position shown in FIG. 1 and below the attachment 27 where the arms attach to the blade assembly 10.

In operation, reference should first be made to FIG. 1, wherein the stabilizing arms 34 are adjusted in length so that when the bucket is in the lowermost position, the lower edge 23 just meets the lower edge 39 of the bulldozer blade 10. This lower edge 23 may, of course, be provided with scraper teeth 40 if desired.

When the piston and cylinder assemblies 28 are actuated, the bucket swings forwardly and upwardly to the position shown in phantom in FIG. 1, the restraining or stabilizing links 34 causing the bucket to take the position shown in phantom inasmuch as point 37 travels through are 41 and point 21 travels through are 42.

If, however, the length of the stabilizing arms 34 is shortened, then the lower edge 23 of the bucket is below the lower edge 39 of the blade as shown in full line in FIG. 2. This enables the teeth 40 to be used as stone pickers below the surface of the ground 43.

Alternatively, the length of the arm 34 may be lengthened thus causing the bucket to take the position shown in dotted line in FIG. 2 where in the lower edge 23 engages the blade above the lower edge 39 of the blade. This is useful for gathering straw or debris from barns or the like.

The adjustment of the stabilizing arms 34 gives great flexibility to the device and by controlling the raising and lowering of the bulldozer blade as the bucket is being lowered, a scraping action parallel to the ground can be arranged which is extremely valuable in barn cleaning or the like.

Various modifications can be made within the scope of the inventive concept disclosed. Accordingly, it is intended that what is described herein should be regarded as illustrative of such concept and not for the purpose of limiting protection to any particular embodiment thereof, but that only such limitations should be placed upon the scope of protection to which the inventor hereof is entitled, as justice dictates.

What is claimed to be the present invention is:

1. The combination of a bulldozer blade and a bucket attachment comprising a bucket disposed forwardly of said blade for cooperation therewith, linkage means operatively connecting said bucket to said blade for raising and lowering of the bucket relative to the blade and for controlling the attitude of the bucket during its raising and lowering movement, and fluid operators reacting between said blade and said linkage means for actuating the latter, said linkage means including at least one stabilizer arm extending between the blade and the bucket, said arm being adjustable so as to pre-position the lower edge of the bucket selectively at or above or below the lower edge of said blade, said linkage means also including a pair of vertically swingable support arms pivoted to said blade at the upper edge of the latter and extending forwardly therefrom, the forward ends of said support arms being pivoted to said bucket at points between upper and lower edges of the bucket, one end of said stabilizer arm being pivoted to the bucket at the upper edge of the latter and the other end of the stabilizer arm being pivoted to said blade at a point between the upper and lower edges of the blade.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 which is further characterized in that said stabilizer arm is adjustable as to its length.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said stabilizer arm comprises a pair of slidably telescoped arm members, and means for locking said arm members in a slidably adjusted position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,332,561 10/1943 Drott 37--117.5 2,470,779 5/ 1949 Lankovski et al 371l8X 2,950,551 8/1960 Pesce 37-2 3,148,465 9/1964 Beyerstedt et al 37117.5 3,209,474 10/ 1965 Artman 37117.5 3,296,720 1/1967 Sagerer 37117.5 3,375,595 4/1968 Beltrami 37117.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,086,287 8/1954 France 214147 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner C. D. CROWDER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 37-2; 214-147 

